Kit for modifying footwear traction

ABSTRACT

A kit and process for applying a highly slip resistant surface to the soles and heels of ordinary footwear of a great many types including fishing boots and shoes used for boating. The kit includes a quantity of very hard grit particles, an elastic cement, a substance to remove resinous impregnants from the surface of soles, and ordinary sandpaper. In use, the soles of conventional footwear are cleaned and roughened with the sandpaper, the surface is treated with a resin removing substance, and then treated with a chlorine bleach. Then the adhesive is applied. The grit is applied on that adhesive and covered with another layer of the adhesive. For soles of felt and the like a prime coat is first applied and dried before applying the coat for the grit. The so treated soles give a very sure and safe grip on a wide variety of different surfaces, and are comparatively resistant to wear and deterioration.

United States Patent Casteel et al.

[54] KIT FOR MODIFYING FOOTWEAR TRACTION [72] lnventors: Charles P. Casteel, 719 Grand Ave.; Roy

E. Vanderhoof, Box 490, both of Glenwood Springs, Colo. 81601 [22] Filed: Apr. 7, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 26,289

[52] US. CL ..206/47 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 81/32, B65d 85/00 [58] Field of Search ..206/47 R, 56 AB, 45.14, 46 AP,

[ 5] Feb. 1, 1972 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, .lr. Attorney-William D. Stokes [57] ABSTRACT A kit and process for applying a highly slip resistant surface to the soles and heels of ordinary footwear of a great many types including fishing boots and shoes used for boating. The kit includes a quantity of very hard grit particles, an elastic cement, a substance to remove resinous impregnants from the surface of soles, and ordinary sandpaper. In use, the soles of conventional footwear are cleaned and roughened with the sandpaper, the surface is treated with a resin removing substance, and then treated with a chlorine bleach. Then the adhesive is applied. The grit is applied on that adhesive and covered with another layer of the adhesive. For soles of felt and the like a prime coat is first applied and dried before applying the coat for the grit. The so treated soles give a very sure and safe grip on a wide variety of different surfaces, and are comparatively resistant to wear and deterioration.

9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures mzmwm 1mm $638,785

IN VEN TOR.

CHARLES P CASTEE L ROY E. VANDERHO F Lag/W AD 4 4 ATTORNEY KIT FOR MODIFYING FOOTWEAR TRACTION This invention relates to the modification of the bottoms of footwear, whether the footwear is new or used, and to the application of a highly slip resistant layer to material which forms the bottom surface of ordinary footwear.

Boots, shoes, and the like with very positive traction or gripping surface are particularly desirable in certain activities conducted under exceptional conditions. A major area of use is for fishing boots. The fisherman often stands on rocks covered with moss and slime, and on similar terrain, frequency while in moving water which covers the feet. Another significant area of use is on shoes used on the wet deck of a boat. Of course, an almost infinite number of different uses can be contemplated, since a very positive gripping surface on the soles would tend to prevent slipping on most any type of surface which can become hard and have low frictional characteristics.

At the same time, resistance to wear, along with ease and feasibility of replacement, are of considerable, practical significance. For example, felt soles exhibit some effectiveness (although substantially less than those in accordance with this invention) in providing stability on slippery rocks. Felt soles are seriously damaged very quickly by sharp terrain which is commonly found in fishing and are damaged even faster by use on gravel surfaces. The surface layer provided in accordance with this invention is much more resistant to damage and may be replaced readily.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a technique to apply a sure grip surface to the material of the bottoms of ordinary footwear.

It is similarly, an object of the invention to provide a kit which may be used conveniently and efficiently fashion such a sure grip surface.

lt is also similarly, an object of this invention to provide a method to conveniently and efficiently fashion such a sure grip surface.

lt is another, more specific object of this invention to provide a surface which is relatively resistant to wear during use.

It is similarly, another, more specific object of this invention to provide a surface which may be conveniently and efficiently replacedfrom time to time.

In accordance with this invention a kit or assembly of items is provided which includes a quantity of a substance effective to chemically remove resinous impregnants and coverings including waxes and the like from the surface of leather soles and other such materials. Also provided in the kit is a quantity of elastic adhesive material and a quantity of hard grit particles.

In the usual case, the bottom of footwear having a sole of wear resistant material such as leather, is cleaned and roughened manually with an abrasive device such as sandpaper. Impregnants in the sole and other bottom material are then removed with the resin remover. Also in the usual case a household chlorine bleach is then applied. A first layer of the adhesive is applied and allowed to become tacky. The grit is applied. This is allowed to harden and then a second layer is applied over the grit application.

Preferably the first layer is not extended to the edges of the sole and heel so that the grit will not extend to the edges. The grit is applied so as to cover substantially the entire adhesive covered layer, in an amount limited so that the grit does not pile upon itself.

The kit may be used with sole material having exceptional characteristics, such as felt. For such material there may be no need to prepare and toughen the surface in the manner described for hard leather and-the like.

It is, of course, known in the prior art to incorporate a hard grit material into the bottoms of footwear so as to obtain more positive traction. Similarly, in at least one specialized teaching the bottom of a boot is treated to improve the traction of the boot with a fluid resin layer in which hard particles are then dispersed. In that teaching, the sole of the boot is felt, and no mention is made of the cleaning or other preparation of the sole.

A more detailed understanding of the invention and further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

FIG. I shows the kit preferred for use by individuals, comprising a single package of items preferred for sale as a unit commercially; and

FIG. 2 is illustrative of the method of use.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 the kit preferred for commercial sale to individuals is made up of a cardboard box 1, which is sealed when packed by masking tape. The kit is for convenient and efficient use to apply a high-traction layer containing hard particles to the soles of ordinary shoes. (It will be understood that a similar kit to the one shown in detail in FIG. I is contemplated for sale to commercial establishments, to service in dividual customers. The quantity of materials in those kits would be sufficient to do several pairs of footwear.) The materials contained in the kit shown in FIG. 1 are as follows:

A. A plastic bottle 3 containing 1 fluid ounce of a liquid having as the major ingredient trisodium phosphate or sodium silicate or a combination of both. These materials preferably are of a grade and concentration used commercially for wax removal or similar applications;

B. A tin can 5 with a pry-offlid containing 4 fluid ounces of a rubber or similar elastomeric adhesive material in a solvent. The preferred material is Goodyear Plioband No. 30 rubber cement, a commonly available cement comprising a rubber material dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone, which acts as a volatile solvent. The adhesive is elastic enough to conform and stay in contact with the footwear bottom as it is flexed during use;

C. A tin can 7 with a pry-off lid containing 6 avoirdupois ounces of very hard grit particles. The preferred material is silicon carbide RA 12, which are oblong particles roughly onesixteenth inch in length. Other grades such as RA l0 and RA 14 are also quite satisfactory, as are other hard materials, such as aluminum oxide grit and ceramic chips;

D. A No. 2 acid brush 9, included in the kit as a convenience for the application of the wax remover, bleach and the cement;

E. A 2-inch X 4%-inch sheet of ordinary sandpaper ll of medium grade;

F. A set of detailed written instructions I3 for use of the kit.

The kit is intended to be sold commercially with items as described while packaged, transported, and offered for sale as a unit.

In use, the soles of ordinary footwear are treated to obtain a positive gripping surface. Boots and shoes having sole of ordinary shoe leather, rubber, and the like may be treated. Such footwear materials, especially when not well worn, contain resinous materials including waxes which apparently resist the simple application of adhesive.

The soles and heels of such footwear, fishing boot 15 in FIG. 2, are first cleaned and roughened by a thorough scouring manually with the use of sandpaper 11. All particles created are dusted off.

The wax remover from bottle 3 is poured on to and spread with brush 9 liberally over all the roughened surface. This is allowed to soak at least 10 minutes. Brush 9 is cleaned in warm water and dried with a clean cloth, and the soles are cleaned with warm water and dried in the same manner after the period of soaking.

A common household liquid chlorine bleach, which may be any one of those sold under such trademarks as, for example, Chlorox and Hi-Lex, is spread with brush 9 over the roughened surface. This is allowed to soak at least 10 minutes. The brush 9 and the treated surface are cleaned with warm water and dried with a clean cloth. The action of the chlorine bleach appears to be one of providing increased roughness. Firm adhesion sufficient to provide a useful high-traction layer is obtained with the omission of the bleaching step, but the bleaching step generally does significantly increase the adhesion to the bottom of the footwear.

A generous coat of adhesive from can 5 is spread on the surface except for an approximately iii-inch wide band left around the edges. When the adhesive becomes tacky in a few minutes (approximately 5 minutes for the rubber cement specified), the grit from can 7 is spread evenly on the coating.

The grit is spread in amount to fully cover the adhesive layer, but not to pile up substantially upon itself. The band left without adhesive allows an application which easily excludes grit from the edges where it is not desired.

The bottoms are then pressed against a flat surface to implant the grit. The footwear is hung or otherwise suspended soles up in a warm, ventilated area and allowed to cure for 24 hours. (The ventilation needed is a function of the type of cement used. The specified rubber cement hardens by loss of the methyl ethyl ketone solvent. Should other cement be used, such as a self-setting cement, ventilation would not be a factor.)

The brush 9 is wiped clean and immersed in water to await application of the finish coat of adhesive.

Then, a final coat of the adhesive from can 5 is applied over the entire bottoms of the footwear. Adhesive is applied until all grit particles are completely covered. The footwear is again suspended soles up in a warm ventilated area. Drying for at least 48 hours is recommended, with further drying being effective to improve the strength of the bond.

With certain materials, such as felt, the conditioning with wax remover and other such conditioning steps may be unnecessary. The contents of the kit are nevertheless useful to treat footwear having soles of material not comparable to leather and the like.

Felt soles in good condition and other materials of great porosity may be treated. First, dirt and foreign matter are cleaned off. After the soles are completely dry, a thin coating of the adhesive in can 5 is applied by brush 9 and allowed to dry overnight in a warm, ventilated place.

The remaining application to the coated felt soles is identical to that described above after the bleach treatment.

It will be clear that this invention may be used with a wide variety of footwear, including boots, rubbers, overshoes, and shoes. The skid resistant sole layers created are very effective in wet, slimy, icy and other slick conditions.

lt will also be apparent that this invention may take various forms, particularly in the choice of materials such as the type of adhesive or the size and type of grit. lt will also be apparent that various aspects of the invention may be used independently for special purposes or at the cost of diminished quality, but nevertheless within the scope of this invention. This invention therefore should not be considered to be restricted to the preferred form described, but the coverage should be as provided by law, with particular reference to the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A package adapted for handling as a unit, the contents of which comprise hard, particulate material suitable for coating the bottoms of footwear to provide positive traction,

adhesive material suitable for bonding said particulate material to the bottoms of footwear, and

a substance suitable to chemically remove resinous materials including waxes from the surface of the bottoms of footwear.

2. The package as in claim I in which said substance comprises a material selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate, sodium silicate, and mixtures thereof.

3. The package as in claim 1 in which the solid ingredients of said adhesive are elastomeric.

4. The package as in claim 3 also comprising a brush suitable to apply said adhesive, and an abrasive surfaced sheet suitable to roughen and clean the bottoms of footwear to improve adherence of said adhesive.

5. The package as in claim 3 in which said adhesive is a rubber dissolved in a volatile solvent.

6. The package as in claim 5 in which said substance comprises a material selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate sodium silicate, and mixtures thereof.

7. The package as in claim 6 in which said particulate material is of maximum length in the general order of magnitude of one-sixteenth inch.

8. The package as in claim 7 also comprising a brush suitable to apply said adhesive, and sandpaper suitable to roughen and clean the bottoms of footwear to improve adherence of said adhesive.

9. The package as in claim 8 in which said particulate material is silicon carbide. 

1. A package adapted for handling as a unit, the contents of which comprise hard, particulate material suitable for coating the bottoms of footwear to provide positive traction, adhesive material suitable for bonding said particulate material to the bottoms of footwear, and a substance suitable to chemically remove resinous materials including waxes from the surface of the bottoms of footwear.
 2. The package as in claim 1 in which said substance comprises a material selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate, sodium silicate, and mixtures thereof.
 3. The package as in claim 1 in which the solid ingredients of said adhesive are elastomeric.
 4. The package as in claim 3 also comprising a brush suitable to apply said adhesive, and an abrasive surfaced sheet suitable to roughen and clean the bottoms of footwear to improve adherence of said adhesive.
 5. The package as in claim 3 in which said adhesive is a rubber dissolved in a volatile solvent.
 6. The package as in claim 5 in which said substance comprises a material selected from the group consisting of trisodium phosphate, sodium silicate, and mixtures thereof.
 7. The package as in claim 6 in which said particulate material is of maximum length in the general order of magnitude of one-sixteenth inch.
 8. The package as in claim 7 also comprising a brush suitable to apply said adhesive, and sandpaper suitable to roughen and clean the bottoms of footwear to improve adherence of said adhesive.
 9. The package as in claim 8 in which said particulate material is silicon carbide. 